The invention relates to a device for dispensing a flowing medium in a metered manner, in particular a hot-melt adhesive, cold adhesive, lubricant, paint or the like.
A conventional device comprises a deposition head having a boundary surface formed with numerous flow-medium feed ducts, and at least one deposition module mounted on the boundary surface and fitted with a noble head to deposit adhesive in spots, beads or the like on a substrate moving by.
In such a device, the deposition module is mounted by means of two sockethead screws on the deposition head feeding the deposition module.
However, this basically economical system incurs the drawback that when the deposition module, which is hot in order to prolong the service life of machine settings, is replaced, frequently the adhesive drips out of the adhesive ducts and flows into the threads of the sockethead screws. Since this adhesive will burn, it forms a hard crust which at the next replacement of the deposition module will degrade the operability of the thread and hamper assembly of the deposition module.
Furthermore, exact assembly of the deposition modules is especially difficult when the device is hot. The screws may easily be dropped into the device and lost, ie spare screws are needed.
Lastly, the threads maybe damaged so much that a new deposition module no longer can be affixed, and as a result, the entire deposition head must be removed from the machine and new sockethead screws must be inserted. This procedure causes significant shutdown in production.
It is the objective of the present invention to create a new device for dispensing flowing media which allows for significantly simpler affixation or exchange of the deposition module.
The invention solves this problem in that the boundary surface is fitted with at least two mounting pins passing through boreholes of the deposition module, and in that at least one clamping element acting at least indirectly on the deposition module is configured on the end zones of the mounting pins projecting from the deposition module.
The device of the invention offers a first substantial advantage in that the threads serving to affix the mounting pins in the deposition head need not be loosened during replacement of the deposition module and accordingly shall not be exposed to wear by conventional mounting procedures and furthermore cannot be damaged by leaking adhesive. Also, by merely slipping the deposition module on the mounting pins firmly against the deposition head, a reliable pre-assembly position can be attained, and subsequent actuation of the clamping element then assures non-shifting affixation.
Also, a support plate enclosing both end zones of the mounting pins can be mounted advantageously between the clamping element and the deposition module.
designed so that it shall be secured at the pre-assembly position in the untightened state, and in the tightened state, clamping of the sliding support plate shall be attained.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, the clamping element consists of a compression screw mounted in a threaded hole of the sliding support plate and resting against an outside surface of the deposition module.
In this particular embodiment, the required compression by the deposition module on the deposition head can be generated merely by rotating the compression screw by half a revolution.